Page 176 of Valentino

Screaming, yelling, sirens….

Walls closing in…and the echo of my heart breaking, for the second time tonight.

I feel like I’m having an out-of-body experience, watching us from above.

Tears well in my eyes at the enormity of this situation, everything is so messed up.

“What do I tell the police?” I ask.

“The truth.”

“What is that?” I whisper, tears break the dam and roll down my face. “I don’t even know anymore.”

“Carlo turned up here to try and kidnap you and Valentino was defending you.”

The stranger in front of me blurs.

“Do you understand?” he replies.

I nod.

But I don’t, I don’t know what the hell is going on…. Or why Romeo is threatening to kill me.

Why Valentino doesn’t want me anymore.

This part of the story hurts the most and I screw up my face in tears.

“Not a word about our conversation,” Romeo tells me.

I nod.

He slowly opens the door and walks out and I am left alone.

Who am I kidding, it has become crystal clear that I was always alone….

The next thing I see is Valentino walking out down the corridor with his hands cuffed behind his back. Police are on each side of him, holding his arms as they take him into custody.

Did he kill him?

Val’s eyes meet mine before he snaps them away as if he can’t even look at me.

I screw up my face in tears.

The ambulance drivers come running down the corridor and into my apartment. “Down the hall, bathroom,” an officer tells them.

“This way. Quick,” someone calls. “He’s losing a lot of blood.”

“What’s happening?” one of them asks as they run past.

“Gun shot, two. Critical condition.”

“Are you Anna Russo?” The police officer turns to me.

The tears run down my face like a waterfall. “Yes.”

Broken tears, no longer resilient, with not an ounce of bravery left.

“And this is your house?”